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HEAD TEACHER'S NEWSLETTER
And so it is Christmas…. and this is what we have done….!
It’s another bumper edition of the newsletter this week, filled to the brim with Christmas cheer and pupil achievement.
Thank you to all my amazing colleagues for their hard work and commitment to our young people, to parents, carers and families for their support of our school, and last but certainly not least, to all our students who make this job so incredibly rewarding and enjoyable.
It has been, as always, a privilege to lead this school community through 2023, and I look forward to all that 2024 brings.
However you are spending Christmas, and with whomever it is with, I wish you all the merriest of Christmases and a wonderful New Year.
Jodie Hannan
Key Dates
Monday 8 January: all staff and pupils return to school
Thursday 11 January: Senior Phase Parents’ Consultation 5-7pm: Option 1 (further details to follow)
Monday 15 January: Senior Phase Parents’ Consultation 5-7pm: Option 2 (further details to follow)
Staff
We say farewell and huge thanks to Ms Hepburn, Teacher of English, who left us on Wednesday after eight years at MGS for a promoted post at Preston Lodge. We wish her the very best of luck in the next stage of her career.
There will be some changes to the English timetable and some classes may now have a different teacher from January. Mr Greig, Curriculum Leader (CL) of the Communications Faculty will notify parents of these changes in January.
We also say farewell to Mrs Reuvers, Teacher of Home Economics, who leaves us today for a position at Mary Erskine’s. We wish Mrs Reuvers every success in her new post.
There will be some changes to the Home Economics timetable and some classes may now have a different teacher from January. Mr MacDonald, Curriculum Leader (CL) of the Health & Wellbeing Faculty will notify parents of these changes in January.
Welcome to Ms Thompson who joins us in PE until Summer 2024 to cover Ms Holmes’ timetable while she is in the Pupil Support Faculty.
Welcome back to Ms Ryan, CL Modern Languages, who returns on Monday 8 January from maternity leave. Thank you to Mr Jordan who has done a fabulous job leading the faculty in her absence.
S1 and S2 Christmas Ceilidh
We celebrated the end of term differently this year with an S1 and S2 ceilidh. A great time was had by all, though dancing in a now sweaty acrylic Christmas jumper is not recommended!
Thanks to the ceilidh band of Mr Dickson, Mr Ross, Mr Anderson, Mr Dickson and Mr Day, and to S4 girl band About ’08 for playing us out with Step into Christmas.
Celebrating our staff
Schools are all about people and I am incredibly lucky to work with such an amazing team of people, teachers and support staff alike.
The following colleagues are recognised for being stars in school:
Our Office A Team were awarded a certificate for being generally brilliantly helpful all the time.
From left to right:
Mrs Harvey, Mrs Sinicka, Mrs Stewart (aka Mrs Musselburgh), Mrs Donohoe, Business Manager, Mrs Gray, Ms Scott, Mrs Forgan and Ms Gatner.
From left to right:
Miss Ganson, Mr Anderson, Teachers of Music, and Mr Dickson, Curriculum Leader of Expressive Arts and Music Teacher, and Mrs Fullerton, Teacher of Business
The Music Department were thanked for always going over and above to support whole school events such as assemblies and Sports Days, sometimes at very short notice.
Mrs Fullerton was recognised for supporting every single school event such the S6 residential at Dalguise, S1 Fright Night, the Senior Dance, the Christmas Market, the summer Junior Dance, as well as running the Burgh Baristas at many more events such as Parents Evenings and Music Concerts.
Education.
Lee the Jannie was celebrated for being the smiliest person in school no matter what is going on!
Senior Dance
The Senior Dance took place on Tuesday and a wonderful time was had by all. Lots of bleary faces on Wednesday, and a fairly high absence rate from school too… 🙂
Thanks to Ms Holmes, Mrs Fullerton, Ms Hepburn, Mr Melvin, Mr Michie, Ms Craigie, Mrs Donnelly, Mr Jordan, Mrs Walker, Mrs Dias, Ms NIsbet, Ms Thompson, Ms Gillis, Ms McCrorie who supported the event, and here are a few photos from the evening- don’t they look braw?
Christmas Concert 2023
On the evening of Thursday 14th of December, Musselburgh Grammar School held their annual Christmas Concert. The program was full of festive cheer with a range of performances from the Music Department’s ensembles and soloists.
Tom Ferguson (S6), opened the night with a performance of Jingle Bells followed by a Hornpipe Set on bagpipes. This was Tom’s final Christmas Concert with MGS and as always, he set the tone for another night of excellent musical entertainment.
The feeder Primary Schools; Campie, Loretto RC and Stoneyhill’s woodwind and brass students joined the MGS Wind Band for a festive performance of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer which put everyone in the Christmas spirit. With the addition of the Primary pupils, the Wind Band grew to become 70 pupils strong! They played with a brilliantly strong sound and enabled primary pupils to begin to build relationships within the Music Department. The Music Team at MGS are already looking forward to welcoming them to the department in the future!
The Musselburgh Grammar School Wind Band played a further two pieces throughout the course of the night. A performance of Soul Bossa Nova (rechristened as Sleigh Bossa Nova), had everyone tapping their toes and their presentation of Christmas at the Movies arranged by J.Moss, had the audience feeling nostalgic as a compilation of music from classic Christmas films like Home Alone and The Polar Express were played.
The MGS Orchestra made its debut performance with renditions of O Douce Nuit and That’s What I Like. This is the first time since before COVID that the Orchestra has had enough pupils to perform. We are very excited to watch the group grow in future years and be restored to the size that it was pre pandemic!
A variety of rock bands also performed throughout the night. The Junior Rock Band played angsty performances of Aerials by System of the Down and Complicated by Avril Levine. The S4 Rock Band donned their Christmas jumpers for an electrifying rendition of Stereophonics’ Dakota and the Senior Rock Band performed an atmospheric, acoustic version of Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box.
A pupil led band named Dirty Campers played a Misfits set comprising of Skulls and Hybrid Moments. Lead vocalist Kieran Leask’s captivating performance had the entire hall fully on board for a Punk Rock Christmas!
Later in the evening another pupil led band named og performed an excellent performance of Someday by The Strokes. This band has been together for over two years and their performance was extremely slick and professional, which matched their sharp suit and tie attire perfectly. The Guitar Ensemble was led by the guitar instructor Chris Day through an excellent performance of Jessica by The Allman Brothers Band (perhaps more widely known as the Top Gear Theme). All that was missing was The Stig!
Both Junior and Senior Choirs also performed at the Concert. The Junior Choir christmasified a cover of Taylor Swift’s Back to December and the Seniors performed a beautifully haunting a capella version of Carol of the Bells complete with four-part harmony.
The night wouldn’t be complete without a few solo performances.
Tess Devlin played J. A Greenwood’s The Acrobat which earned her 3rd place in the Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year Competition last month. Tess had the audience completely captivated as her playful performance of The Acrobat showcased her incredible technical skill on trombone as well as her talents as an engaging performer.
Kira Meszaros sang an extremely moving performance of On My Own from the infamous musical Les Misérables. Kira also represented MGS at the Rotary Club Young Musician of the Year Competition last month for the second year running. Kira had the audience completely mesmerised and her performance was met with deafening applause.
To close the show, S4 girl band About ’08 gave a festive performance of Elton John’s Step into Christmas which left even the grumpiest of Scrooges with a sense of Christmas cheer.
Kenny Dickson, head of the Expressive Arts Faculty said: “We are so very proud of all the pupils who participated in the concert. They all work so hard to prepare their performances and their passion and enthusiasm is evident! A special thanks to our staff helpers who helped make the night run so smoothly and to the fantastic Instrumental Music Service instructors, without whom this concert would not have been possible. Myself and my music team colleagues; Louie Anderson, Jess Funk and Ellie Ganson are delighted to have such talented and motivated pupils in the department, and we want to thank all of the parents, families and carers who have supported our pupils and department over the years.”
The date for the annual Spring Concert is yet to be determined, but we are already looking forward to it greatly!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Team Music!
Xmas Door Competition
Well done to all the entrants in this year's event. The winners of this year’s Xmas door decorating competition are………[drumroll] …….
1st place - Shrek the Halls (AT2 Ms Hamilton-Wylie)
2nd place - The Grinch (B15 Mr Lee/Mr Bissett)
3rd place - Happy Nightmares and Merry Christmas (B12 Mr Brown/Mr Bissett)
There was very tough competition this year and many pupils and staff displayed fabulous creativity and teamwork to bring you these fantastic festive doors!
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote.
Mrs Lyall
Staff Quiz
It was our first, and now to become an annual tradition, staff Christmas quiz on Wednesday afternoon. We were all feeling exhausted but it was lovely to get together as a staff for team games and general nonsense. Huge thanks to Ms Holmes, PSL, Mr Smeaton and Mr Melvin, Teachers of PE for organising such an enjoyable afternoon.
Musselburgh Meeting Centre Christmas Party
It was a pleasure for Mrs Watson, DHT Curriculum, and I to be invited to the Christmas celebration at the Musselburgh Meeting Centre on Monday morning. This year, as part of a Senior Phase Wider Achievement Course, Musselburgh Grammar School and Musselburgh Meeting Centre have started a new intergenerational choir. The Meeting Centre has been up and running since May and provides a place for people with dementia to socialize and experience new things. The Centre is a place for members to enjoy themselves and participate in activities in a positive and supportive environment. A number of our senior pupils and Ms Ganson, Music teacher, have been visiting the Centre all term to support members of our community who are living with dementia. There have been plenty of arts and crafts, board games and singing for the members and our pupils to get to know each other. This community link is part of our wider achievement curriculum to develop vital communication, interpersonal and life skills, and our long-term strategy for true intergenerational working: not everything a school does can be, nor should be, measured by an exam and it has been a truly enriching experience for all involved. Members commented on how difficult it can be to live with the stigma of dementia, while our pupils feel that as teenagers, they are often stigmatised too.
The Wider Achievement Class has joined the Musselburgh Meeting Centre Members for 2 events to celebrate the Meeting Centre’s first Christmas - a Community Christmas Coffee Morning and the Meeting Centre’s Members and Friends Christmas party.
The choir is comprised of members and pupils alike and they have enjoyed practicing a variety of Christmas Carols to perform at the two festive events. Additionally, pupils have organized some Christmas Crafts to do with members and helped make Christmas decorations for the party. The pupils have shown great determination and initiative in planning activities for the members and have greatly enjoyed getting to know the members over a coffee and a cake once all the crafts and music have been packed away!
Pupils have loved getting to know the members and come out of every session grinning from ear to ear. It’s great to see the different generations come together and find things that they have in common with each other. The pupils look forward to every trip and have built positive relationships with the members. The class are very much looking forward to returning to the Meeting Centre in 2024!
Fiona Barrett, Meeting Centre Manager, said:
“This has been a truly wonderful experience for our members, their families, and our team here at the meeting Centre, in Musselburgh to come together in a truly inter-generational way. The members have so enjoyed deciding with the young people the songs they will sing, generally chatting and finding out about the younger folks plans for the future, their exams and what they like doing outside school and vice versa …. well except for the exams part!!”
The most important part of this experience is that it is not just for Christmas, the members were clear that they were very happy to welcome the young people into their place, but they also wanted to visit the young people in theirs. So, we are looking forward to continuing this inter-generational experience in 2024 and beyond, by visiting the Grammar school where members will have the opportunity to visit several departments as well as the Apiary and excitingly finding out what you must learn to become a Barista!
Sue Northrop, Dementia Friendly East Lothian said:
“Bringing generations together is important on so many levels from the joy and friendship it brings to the opportunity to promote better brain health for future generations. Old and young people are both discriminated on the basis of their age, making coming together event more important.”
Dementia Friendly East Lothian opened the Musselburgh Meeting Centre in St Andrews High Church Musselburgh in April 2023. It is East Lothian’s first Meeting Centre and is funded by East Lothian Health & Social Care Partnership. The Centre also supports the Musselburgh Friendship Group at Musselburgh Old Course Golf Club.
Work is underway with East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership and Prestonpans Community Centre and Prestonpans Group Practice to develop a new Friendship Group at the Community Centre.
Meeting Centres are an important part of the East Lothian Dementia Strategy launched last month, where there is a greater focus on understanding the importance of communities in helping people maintain daily life, challenging stigma and preventing dementia. https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/news/article/14191/east_lothian_launches_dedicated_dementia_strategy
If I wasn’t feeling Christmassy before the event, I certainly was after the heart-warming carols and conversation. Thanks to the Musselburgh Meeting Centre for the invitation, and a huge well done to Ms Ganson and her class for their enthusiasm and commitment to the members and being such a credit to the Grammar. We look forward to continuing our work with the Centre in the New Year.
Wicked Matinee Show
On Wednesday, the 20th of December, a group of 30 enthusiastic pupils, accompanied by Mrs McLean and Ms Hoffman, set off on a thrilling adventure to the Playhouse Theatre. The bus journey was filled with excitement as we boarded the bus, we stopped in Edinburgh for lunch before heading to the much-awaited show.
The atmosphere was buzzing with anticipation as we entered the theatre, and it did not disappoint. “Wicked” cast its enchanting spell upon us, leaving everyone stunned by its sheer brilliance. The pupils’ engagement and enthusiasm were nothing short of outstanding, truly showcasing the exemplary spirit of our school. It was a pleasure to witness their enjoyment and appreciation for the arts .
A massive thank you to all the pupils for their exemplary behaviour and their spirited participation in making this trip a resounding success. Their enthusiasm and positive attitude truly made it a joy to be a part of this Christmas excursion to the theatre.
Breakfast Club
The breakfast club has just received a very welcome early Christmas present from Musselburgh Area Partnership. They have agreed to fund £3,024.14 to allow us to continue with our free breakfast club from 8-8:20am that is open to all young people at MGS in the Nurture room every day. This funding will also allow us to build on the soft start period 1 where targeted young people can also benefit from a soft start in the morning with breakfast provided. Our Nurture groups that run daily period 2-3 will also benefit from this funding as they are also offered breakfast when they come to Nurture.
All the young people would like to say a huge thank you to Musselburgh Area Partnership for agreeing to our funding application. This money will benefit lots of our young people.
Active Schools Advent Calendar of Sports Excellence
It’s the end of the Active Schools' sports advent calendar and it has been wonderful to see the range of sporting achievements across our school. Our young people are incredibly talented and a credit to the Grammar. We look forward to celebrating all sports achievements at our annual Sports Awards evening in June.
A sneak preview of our remaining days of advent:
LEAPS Transition Course
We are delighted to be offering the LEAPS Transition Course as part of our subject offering for next year’s S6 LEAPS eligible students. This course would be studied independently via online webinars and (fortnightly) in person university campus visits. The course must be taken during our Tuesday and Thursday afternoon timetabled classes and is awarded SCQF Level 7 (20 credits).
The LEAPS Transition Course is designed to give S6 LEAPS eligible students the skills and experience they need to make a positive transition from school to university. More information about the course can be found by following this link: LEAPS Transitions Course Admissions Briefing | LeapsOnline
For information about how university entry requirements consider this course please following this link: LEAPS Transitions Course & University Entry Requirements | LeapsOnline
Places are allocated on a first come first serve basis and applications will open on the 4th March 2024.
I have invited the LEAPS team to our forthcoming parents’ evenings and will inform you if they are able to attend.
Mrs N. Watson
Depute Head Teacher
Science Foundation Apprenticeship
On Fri 12th Jan. Mr Dickson will be visiting MGS to talk about the Science foundation apprenticeship along with some pupils currently doing the course. He will speak to the S4 about the 2 year programme and the higher chemists about the 1 year course. Please encourage your child to attend these talks.
Medical
All Vaccination forms need to be returned to school in January 2024. The polio/dip vaccine will take place on Monday 4th March 2024. If you received a form please return to Ms Harvey. Thank you and a Merry Christmas to you all.
And finally…..from all of us, to all of you, have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.
See you all in 2024.
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